Imitation-leather backing



Patented June 3, 19124.

STANLEY TURNER, or nnwnunen, NEW YORK, assronon 'ro n I. no ron'r ma:

NEMOURS & COMPANY, or wrnmma'rorr, DELAWARE, acoaroamrron or DELA- WARE.

Ho Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STANLEY TURNER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newburgh, in the county of Orange e and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Imitation-Leather Backing, of which the following is a specification. v This invention relates to the production of a coated fabric having aback surface which is similar to leather both in feel and appearance.

In the manufacture of coated fabrics which are to be put to the same uses as leather, a coating is ordinarily applied to one side only of the fabric, the appearance and rather harsh feel of the fabric on the uncoated side remaining unchanged. A marked advantage would be derived, however, in many cases, if both sides of the fabric, instead of only one side, had the appearance of leather.

I have discoveredthat an imitation leather backing may be formed on coated fabrics, by

5 cementing thereto a sheet of paper, and then,

after drying, stripping the body of the paper from the fabric. The result of this operation is that the very thin surface layer of the sheet of paper which is held directly so by the cement remains with the fabric and imparts to it a dull appearing surface which is soft and smooth to the touch. The artificial leather to which a backing of this kind can be applied may be made by coating fabric in the well known manner with a suitable plastic material, such, for example, as pyroxylin, rubber, or linseed oil, and then embossing the coated surface with a grain similar to that of some kind 40 of leather. It is not necessary however that the backing be applied to an already formed 'leather substitute material, since it is quite practicable to apply the backing to the fabric before the coating and embossing operations on the front side of the fabric are performed.

My invention may be illustrated in more detail by the following ex'a-mple:-

A pyroxylin-coated fabric, obtained for instance by coating fabric with a benzeneethyl acetate solution of pyroxylin, and drying, is coated on the back side with a suit- IMITATION-LEATHER BACKING.

Application filed May 17, 1920. Serial No. 381,943.

able cementing agent, and preferably with a rubber cement prepared by dissolving rubber in a well known rubber solvent such as gasoline, or a mixture of gasoline with benzene or toluene. A sheet or strip of paper, which may be of the blotting paper type, and which preferably contains little, if any, sizing and filling materials, is then so applied-and is firmlv combined with the fabric by passing them together through rolls and then drying, either with or without heating as may be desired. One end of the strip of paper is not cemented to the fabric in order to facilitate the stripping operation. ,After drying the coated fabric and paper may be stripped apart by wind ing them on separate rolls. The portion of the paper which is left on the fabric, after 70 this stripping, imparts the desired surface thereto and may be said to consist of closely matted cellulose fibers.

The paper used in producing the imitation leather surface, and removed by the stripping operation, can be applied and stripped ofl repeatedly so that wastage of paper is avoided. In some cases it is of A advantage to cement a coated fabric to each side of the paper and strip both fabrics from the paper concurrently.

Various changes may be made in the procedure above described without departing from the spirit of my invention. Thus, although my invention is particularly applicable to coated fabrics, it may also be employed to impart the peculiar surface effect above described to any solid surface, and especially to the surfaces of flexible sheet materials.

I claim:

1. An artificial leather comprising a pyroxylin-coated fabric havin a backing consisting of closely matted ce lulose fibers cemented to said fabric and resembling the back side of leather.

ture.

STANLEY TURNER. 

